Disclaimer: All of these characters belong to SquarEnix and I have no profit from writing about them. The song used is Wash Away the Poison by Edguy.
Theme at 30_nights: #18 Listen to the music at night

Yuffie Kisaragi was born a princess. She was trained to be a ninja. She grew up to be a thief. She had a bright spirit, always celebrating her victories by jumping up and down and laughing. She was graceful in the battle, moving smoothly and efficiently, like a dancer, like she was listening to some music others couldn't hear. And he liked to watch her in combat. She was different then. She didn't fight. She danced. It was a dance with danger, dance of death and her moves were fluid and flawless when her weapon cut through monsters and she spinned away from retaliation. She danced in battles but never outside of them.

He realized it for the first time when they were in Junon, buying supplies. The inn they were staying in had a small bar and all of AVALANCHE gathered there in the evening. There was a band, playing popular songs and some people were moving to the music in a small space between the tables. They all laughed when Tifa dragged Cloud off to dance with her and Yuffie was the one to let out a piercing whistle when a slow song came and Cloud blushed, putting his arms around Tifa's waist. Vincent was sitting next to the young ninja and he noticed that her fingers were tapping the table in the sync with the rhythm. He half expected her to stand up and head to the dance floor but Yuffie never did. She just watched and there was a longing in her eyes, carefully disguised as she sipped from her glass.

He didn't think anything of it at first but as the time and their journey progressed, he started to notice little things, like her humming songs softly to herself during watches, how she sometimes skipped and twirled and then suddenly stopped as if caught doing something inappropriate. And she never danced. Not even after Sephiroth was finally gone and they threw an impromptu party aboard slightly beaten but still intact Highwind. Cid digged up some CDs and they put them on and Tifa danced with almost every man in the room. Yuffie, on the other hand, sat on the table and just watched. When Cloud asked her to dance, she declined, saying she was tired and that he should rather look after Tifa else she was going to elope with Red.

That had been a year ago and now all of AVALANCHE gathered again to celebrate the fact that Cid Highwind finally managed to accept the truth and asked Shera to marry him. Vincent had slipped out to get some fresh air and maybe some peace away from all the noise. He didn't think anyone else would be out there but there was. Yuffie was sitting on the railing, her legs swinging back and forth, head bowed and cocked to the side as she listened to the music from the inside. She didn't seem to notice his approach.

"Yuffie," he said to get her attention. The effect was immediate. She jerked and almost lost her balance and fell down. Almost. She managed to keep her perch and once she was safe she turned to glare at him.

"What did you scare me for?"

"I apologize. I merely wanted to alert you to my presence. You seemed to be deep in thoughts."

"Well, yeah. I was thinking about something."

Yuffie looked ahead again. She didn't eleaborate and Vincent didn't ask. They stayed in a silence like that for some time, Yuffie sitting on the railing and Vincent standing behind her. Finally, she spoke again.

"They seem to be having a good time, huh?"

"Yes."

"C'mon Vinnie," Yuffie sighed. "I'm trying to start a conversation with you but I need you to cooperate. That means using more words than 'yes' or 'no'."

"I am sorry. Old habits die hard."

"That's better. Now, let's start again. They seem to be having a good time, huh?"

"Yes, they do," he paused to gauge her reaction. As she opened her mouth to scold him again, he added. "But you don't. Why aren't you inside with the others, having fun, dancing?"

Yuffie looked away.

"I just don't feel like dancing at the moment."

"Ah," Vincent nodded to himself. Yuffie was waiting for him to say more but he didn't.

"All right, I can't dance. Happy now?"

"Yuffie," he shook his head. "I didn't want to look like I pried into your personal affairs. But you are wrong. You can dance. Anyone who moves in a battle like you is a capable dancer. Dance is just another type of combat. You strive to achieve different goals instead of incapacitating your opponent but footwork, coordination, balance are all there, just like in a real fight."

Yuffie couldn't help it. She gaped.

"Okay. Who are you and what have you done to Vincent?"

That brought a half-smile to his face. Seeing that, Yuffie grinned too.

A soft tune floated from inside to them and Yuffie tensed suddenly. The melody was played by the piano at first and a singer started to sing as other instruments joined in one by one.

Here alone now I'm staring at the sea
Behind the far horizon
Is there a better place for me?

A guitar picked up the rhythm.

Afraid to drown, afraid to dive
Scared by fears and the hot sunlight, yeah

Drums took up the lead for a moment with the guitars in the background as the voice of the singer started on a chorus, the drums accentuating his words perfectly.

And I dance in the rain, dive in the pool of life
Wash away the poison
And I dance through this pain, my body in a starless night
To wash away the poison from my soul, turn it to gold

It was a beautiful song, not too slow but not too fast either and the lyrics had a bittersweet feeling of longing in them, yet there was also hope. Vincent glanced at Yuffie and was surprised to see tears rolling down her cheeks.

Between the devil and the deep sea
I don't know how to carry on
I only feel that inner force that's pushing me along

The tides of life bring clarity for my tumbling mind
I'll dive to see, set me free

And I dance in the rain, dive in the pool of life
Wash away the poison
And I dance through this pain, my body in a starless night
To wash away the poison from my soul, turn it to gold

When the guitar solo started, Vincent reached to Yuffie but she shook her head and wiped her eyes.

"Let it finish," she whispered. He nodded and listened as the chorus was repeated until it faded into nothingness with the last 'wash away the poison from my soul'. Yuffie took a deep breath to try to compose herself.

"I haven't heard it in more than ten years. You must think I'm stupid, breaking down over a song like this."

"No, I don't think that. It probably brought up some memories you'd rather forget, am I right?"

She leaned backwards on the railing, somehow keeping her balance even in that precarious position.

"You wanna hear a story?" she asked, looking at him.

"You don't have to," Vincent replied. "I'm not asking."

"But could you listen?" after receiving a nod, Yuffie closed her eyes. "Once upon a time, there was a girl. She lived with her parents who both were great warriors and she wanted to become as good as them so she trained ever since she had learned how to keep her balance and stand without falling. Mind you, she was a genius kid and did it much sooner than other kids her age. So she was taught how to fight and she learned but that was not all. She loved music and she found out she also loved to dance. Her parents approved, saying that dancing was a great way to train body and learn to move with a grace that is necessary for every ninja. Because she was going to be a ninja, you know?

So, she loved to dance and most of all, she loved to dance for Leviathan. I forgot to say she was from Wutai and she believed in Leviathan very strongly. In Wutai, people believe that when it rains, it's Leviathan crying. So during the rain, she went out and danced for him."

Her voice started to resemble way in which all storytellers narrated their stories for people, words falling down in a rhythm now.

"She danced in the spring dazzle, which are tears Leviathan sheds because he is happy that the world is coming alive after the winter. She danced during the summer thunderstorms when Leviathan was angry with people who didn't pay their respects for having a good harvest and she thought that her dancing would calm him down. She danced in the autumn hails, though never for long, to show Leviathan he wasn't the only one weeping for the summer gone by. And she danced in winter cold, steady rains when the spring was so far away and it seemed the cold would never leave the land. And she was happy."

Yuffie's face suddenly hardened.

"When she was seven, a war started. Her parents went out to fight for their country and she was left behind, though she begged to go with them. So she did the only thing she could. She prayed to Leviathan and danced for him, asking nothing but safe return of her mother and father. She loved one song, though she was too young to understand all of its meanings. She danced and she sang it and she prayed and she hoped. Until one day when her father came back and hugged her for what was to be the last time for long years to come and he told her that her mother was dead, killed by an enemies' general. And the girl lost her faith that day because Leviathan let it happen, he let her mother die even though the girl prayed and danced. And she swore that she would never again dance for him and she stopped believing in him and instead started to believe in her country because that was all she had."

Yuffie looked at her hands which were gripping the railing so tightly her knuckles were white.

"I never danced after that. And I stopped thinking about it, too. Until I heard the song tonight, I thought it was behind me. It seems I was wrong."

Vincent put one hand on her shoulder. He was uncertain what to say or do but he knew he had to try.

"Yuffie, I-"

"Don't say you're sorry," she interrupted. "It's not like I'm the only one with some dark events in one's past. It's just this night and the song that got better of me. I'll be fine tommorow."

Vincent hesitated but complied and pulled his hand back.

"As you wish."

Yuffie turned and jumped off, smoothed her dress and then look up at him.

"Do I look like I was crying?" he shook his head no and Yuffie sighed with relief. "Well, I'm heading inside. Maybe there're some drinks left. You coming?"

"I think I'll stay here for a while longer."

"Okay," Yuffie looked down as if thinking about something. "You know, I miss dancing but I can't bring myself to do it. Not yet. Maybe on Cloud and Tifa's wedding, who knows. I'll probably have to dance on my own wedding, if I ever decide it's worth the trouble to get hitched with a guy," she grinned.

"I'd like to dance with you when that day comes."

"That's what I'm counting on, Vinnie," she replied and disappeared inside while Vincent stood there, contemplating all possible meanings and implications of that last few sentences and deciding that some of them, if not all, definitely looked promising. He would wait what the future would bring but he was sure it was going to be worth all the trouble.